Now or Never
by keeponsmilingg
Summary: They say that college is supposed to be the best four years of your life. When Sam and Mercedes go off to college in the fall, they learn a lot about themselves. Being at the same school will either make or break their relationship.
1. Introduction

**Hey everyone! I had a new idea for a story, and wanted to share the introduction with you all. This story is kind of personal because I just finished my first year of college and the two characters are about to embark on their journey of college as well. Thanks for all of the love on my other story **_**How Did We Get Here?**_** Leave your reviews :] **

_Everything felt so surreal. Looking around my room, all of my belongings packed into suitcases and storage boxes. After 18 years of living here, I should have been ready to go. During the summer, I counted down the days, minutes, even seconds to this moment. My future was exactly 136 miles away and I didn't even want to walk 5 feet to leave my room. _

_My mind took me back to the summer. I was busy almost every day. If I wasn't at work, I was out shopping with Kurt and Rachel. If I wasn't out shopping with Kurt and Rachel, I was hanging out with Sam. All I had left were memories, and even they were becoming a little blurry._

"_Mercedes are you ready to go," my mother yelled from downstairs._

_At that point in time, I didn't know how to answer that question. But I couldn't turn back anymore, it was now or never._

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><p><em><strong>Are you ready to do this? –M <strong>_

Reading the text from Mercedes, I was smiling from ear to ear. I was _so_ ready to do this. I was finally moving out and going to college. These were going to be the best years of our lives. Ever since we moved here, I couldn't wait to leave the Lima bubble. Sure, I had made good friends at McKinley. I even met the love of my life. But college was going to be _different_. Meeting new people, living on my own, making my own rules, eating what I wanted at all times; college was going to be heaven on Earth. The best thing though? Being with Mercedes. No matter what was going to happen this year, she would be by my side.

_**Baby, I'm more ready than ever.**_

It was now or never.

A/N: So sorry it was so short, but it's just an introduction. Leave your ideas and suggestions; I'm interested in seeing what you all want to see in a story like this. :]


	2. Chapter 1

**I want to thank you all for being so patient with me! The feedback for the introduction was amazing and I hope you all love the actual chapters! Just a note, unlike my other story, I'm trying to make this story in the point of view of both Sam and Mercedes. Every other chapter will most likely focus on one or the other. But, the chapters will feature both of them. Okay, I'm rambling. I don't own Glee! **

Usually, road trips seemed like they took forever, but not this time. Before I knew it, we had arrived at Kingston University. KU was the home of the Rams and my home for the next four years. As we pulled up, these people in green and gold polo shirts were directing all of the cars. My parents had put away money this summer to rent a truck for move-in day.

When we pulled up to my dorm, I couldn't help but feel out of place when I saw a bunch of nice cars and SUVs in the lot. But I was now in college, and it was time for me to leave those problems at home; it was time to start over.

My feelings of excitement from this morning came rushing back to me when we got out of the truck. Two people, who were also in green and gold shirts, came up to me and my parents with smiles on their faces.

"Hi! Welcome to Kingston! What's your name," the guy asked first. He was a black guy with short hair, and he was just a little bit taller than me.

"Hey, I'm Sam Evans, and these are my parents," I said shaking both of their hands.

"Sam Evans… Aha! This one's in our group," the small girl with short brown hair said smiling.

"Hi, I'm Anna"

"And I'm Jason"

"And we're your Orientation Advisors," they said together. I couldn't help but think they had practiced this many times before.

"What's an Orientation Advisor," my Mom questioned. I knew she was trying to hide it, but I knew all of this was killing her inside.

"Jason and I will be helping Sam, along with the rest of his group, get accustomed to the campus before classes start," Anna started.

"This week, Orientation has planned a ton of events and activities for the freshmen! We've worked tirelessly all summer to give you guys the best week of your lives," Marcus said.

"Awesome! So, where do I need to go to bring my stuff upstairs?" I asked.

Jason and Anna smiled and laughed as if they were sharing an inside joke.

"You don't have to worry about that, we've got you covered," said Marcus.

"Every year, students volunteer to help out with freshmen move-in; you won't have to lift a finger," Anna beamed.

They weren't joking around. With the help of the volunteers, all of my stuff was in my room in less than 15 minutes. Everything was scattered all over the place. And as much as I knew my parents wanted to stay, my Dad had to get to work back in Lima, and my Mom had to pick up Stacy and Stevie from camp.

"You guys don't have to stay. I know you'll have to be heading out soon," I said to my parents as I looked around the room wondering how I was going to get all of this together. At a time like this, I needed Mercedes, but I knew she was busy with moving in herself.

"We know, it's just hard to say goodbye," my Mom said, who had given up on being strong, and let the tears flow.

"C'mon Mom, don't cry. Don't think of it as a goodbye," I walked over wrapping my arms around her small frame. It was funny to think that I used to have to look up at my mother. Now she was the one who had to look up at me.

"We're proud of you Sam," my Dad said reaching his hand out to me, but I pulled him into a hug anyway.

Even though I had a scholarship, my parents were the reason I had made it. The past few years, we had been through a lot, but things were finally coming together for us. During the summer before my senior year, my dad found a job at an office. It wasn't much, but it was something. My mom went through temporary agencies, earning money here and there. They even raised my pay at the pizza place. Things continued to get better; it was almost too good to be true. The summer before college, Mom had found a stable job. Together, my parents had saved up enough to finally move out of the motel, and into a very small house. It might not have been much, but it was better than a motel. Every step of the way, my family worked as a unit. It was a strange feeling to think I wouldn't really be a part of that unit anymore.

"Well, I guess it's time for us to head on out," my father said. He knew if he didn't push my mother along, she wasn't going to leave. And even though she wasn't ready, she agreed that it was time to go.

"Have fun Sam, but remember why you're here," my Mom said giving me one last hug.

My parents had finally left, and I was done rearranging my side of the room. My roommate's side was already put together, but I hadn't met him yet. Feeling bored, I decided to walk around and check out my dorm. I lived in Hanson Hall, and apparently I was lucky. Hanson Hall was renovated over the past year, and we were the first people to live in the dorm. Everything looked so clean and brand new. Our floor along had its own kitchen and lounge. I wasn't paying attention, so it caught me off guard when I bumped into someone on crutches.

"Sorry man, I wasn't looking where I was going," I said to the guy. He was a white guy with curly brown hair. He was about a head shorter than me.

"No problem, I'm Nathan," he said extending his hand out to me.

"Hey, what's up? I'm Sam. I live in 302," I replied thankfully. At McKinley, guys wanted to start a fight if you gave them the wrong look.

"Oh nice, you must be Aaron's roommate. I live in 304, right across from you."

"Nice, so you know my roommate? I haven't even met him yet."

"Ah yea, that's because we moved in last week for football practice."

"Oh you play football? I played in high school."

"I'm a running back, what did you play?"

"I was one of the Quarterbacks."

"Cool, but yea, Aaron's at practice and he will be for most of the day."

"Why aren't you there?" I mentally slapped myself because I had almost forgotten he was on crutches.

"Sorry, that was a stupid question," I said turning a little red.

"It's all good; I messed up my knee on the third day of practice. There's no guarantee I'll be back for the season."

"That sucks man."

"No worries. The girls will be all over this, they can't resist a guy on crutches. And besides, I'm a freshman. The only plays I was going to be making were on the bench," Nathan laughed.

"Anyway, some of the guys on our floor are playing some football outside before we have to meet with our groups. I'm just gonna go chill and watch, but you should come," he said.

Right off the back, I could tell Nathan was cool. I didn't think I would make friends so easily.

"Sure, let me go change, and I'll see you there."

I was so caught up in everything that I had almost forgotten about Mercedes. I wondered how she was doing. It had only been a day since I had seen her, but I missed her already. I wondered if she missed me.

_**babe, how's everything? miss u. **_

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><p>When I saw Sam's text, I wished that I could have told him truthfully that everything was perfect. That everything was so fun and going smoothly. But I would have been lying.<p>

It started out this morning. Everything was set and ready to go. We had planned to leave by 7:00 that morning to get to my dorm when it opened at 9:00. We ended up leaving at 8:00 because everyone in Lima had to come and say goodbye to me. As if they didn't have weeks to do so. Then, when we finally made it on the road, my dad basically had to use the restroom every 5 exits. By the time we had gotten to Kingston, it was chaos. Everyone was trying to move in at the same time. When I got to my dorm, they didn't have my name on the list. After almost an hour of trying to find someone who knew what was going on, they realized that they did in fact have my name on the list for my assigned dorm.

By the time we straightened things out, there were no volunteers left. My family and I had to move all of my belongings up to my room on the 5th floor. Did I mention there were no elevators?

And if the day couldn't get any more annoying, my roommate's parents would not leave. With both of our families in one dorm room, I felt like I was going to pass out.

So I couldn't answer Sam happily without lying, but I didn't want to ruin his fun.

**it's all going great. miss u 2.**

I sighed, only wishing that I was telling the truth.

**A/N: Helllo! So, I hope you liked the first chapter. I once again apologize for taking too long to update! SO, Sam and Mercedes are in college. Sam seems to be having a good time already, but poor Mercedes. I know what it's like to have a crap morning. Also, the Orientation Advisors, I based them off of the people I met during my Orientation this past year! Like I said in the beginning, each chapter will focus more on one or the other. So the next chapter, I'll focus more on Mercedes. ANYWAY, Review, review, review! Go, go, go :]**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hello! So thanks for all of the great reviews on the first chapter. I write all of my stuff long hand, and this chapter took forever to write. I hope you all love it! Also, some of you might be confused, but Sam and Mercedes are at the same college! :] Glee ownership has sadly not been granted.**

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><p>The first day of Orientation was absolute hell, and I was seriously second guessing my decision to come to Kingston. My group was ridiculous and I couldn't believe I had to live with these people for the entire school year. And even though my dorm was co-ed, my floor was all girls. Can you say drama? The girls were either rude, stuck up, party animals, or just plain weird.<p>

And don't get me started on the Orientation itself. We played awkward icebreakers, walked all over campus in the blazing August heat, and ate every meal together. I was so exhausted and it was only the first day.

My living arrangement was another nightmare. Warner Hall was the dormitory from _hell._ There were six floors; it was the largest and oldest freshmen dorm on campus. There was no air conditioning, and everything was just old. And to top it all off, my roommate and I couldn't have been any more different. Her side of the room was already a mess, and whenever we weren't doing an activity, she was constantly on the phone.

How did I already hate this place? It was only the first day. I hated myself for feeling this way. I hated myself for judging the people in my dorm too quickly. I hated myself for hating my dorm. I hated myself for feeling lost without Sam. It had only been a day and I had missed him.

College wasn't supposed to feel like this. College was about making new friends, living life on your own, and creating the path to our futures. Why did I feel miserable and alone? Everyone has this idea of me. I feel like I had to live up to this "strong girl/diva" persona. But in reality, I was so scared for the future and I just wanted to go home.

The Orientation part of the day was over, and we were free to do whatever. While the others were trying to find parties and alcohol, I wanted to find Sam.

On the way out, I ran into my RA Manny. She was a very small Filipino girl, and she was a junior. Manny was the best thing about my dorm.

"Mercedes, I'm so glad I ran into you. How's your first day been?" Manny had been so cheerful and helpful this morning with my dorm drama. I wanted to tell her that I hated the dorm and everyone in it. I wanted to tell her everything. I just didn't have it in me to crush her spirits just because I wasn't having a good day.

"I'm doing well actually. Everything is going well," I forced a smile.

"Great! I think you're going to love it here. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you." Oh Manny, I thought it was cute she had so much faith in me. I wondered how Manny managed to have so much energy. Every time I ran into her that day, she was smiling or laughing.

"I'm going to call a hall meeting later tonight at 9, but I figured I would talk to anyone I saw beforehand."

Being that everyone had already left to go find parties, I was sure the turnout wouldn't be successful. I wasn't going to be the one to tell her that though. I was interested in what she had to say. Hopefully it would be good news.

"What's going on? No one's in trouble right?" Curiosity took over me. Manny told us earlier that we wouldn't have a meeting until after Orientation was over.

"Oh no, nothing like that. Well, it actually depends on how look at it…" she trailed off hesitantly.

"Anyway, today I've been in and out of the Residence Life Office. There have been some issues with housing, and I'm afraid Warner has to start tripling."

I was confused as to what she meant, "What does tripling mean?"

"Well, that means that people in rooms of two will be receiving another roommate. And…well, Mercedes," she paused, "your room is on that list."

I could tell she didn't want to tell me. She went on about how we needed the extra space because of a dorm desperately needing renovation or something. I didn't know. A million thoughts were running through my head. _**Could things get any worse? It was impossible for two people to live in my room comfortably, let alone three. Why was this happening? College sucks. I need to see Sam.**_

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><p>Walking up to Sam's dorm, I wasn't sure whether I should have been angry or happy to see him. His dorm was gorgeous, but then again, Sam was gorgeous too.<p>

"God, I missed you so much." He had almost knocked me down when he ambushed me for a hug. His smell was _intoxicating_. He was trailing kisses up and down my neck when I realized we were in public.

"Slow down honey," I chuckled, "people are watching."

"Who cares," he was now kissing my forehead. "I want everyone to know you're mine."

This boy was something else. My day was absolute crap, but he had turned it around with just one look.

"C'mon, show me around your dorm. I have to be back at my dorm by 9 for a stupid hall meeting." My eyes rolling couldn't accurately portray my annoyance. I was still pissed about this "tripling" business.

Sam's dorm was even more beautiful on the inside. Everything looked brand new. They even had a working elevator. He wasn't too thrilled when I punched him in the arm.

"Ouch, what was that for, Rocky?" he said holding his arm.

"Oh shut up weakling, look at this place! You deserve to be hit. Your dorm trumps mine by a million. This is the Playboy Mansion, and I live in a shack." I tried to be serious, but I couldn't help but crack a smile.

"I'm sorry love, I'm just jealous. You have to admit, this place is amazing." Looking around, I noticed their lounge had a pool table, an air hockey table, and a huge flat screen. Who lived here, Prince Harry?

"Oh c'mon, your dorm can't be that bad…" he shut up when I shot him a look of death.

"Alright then, let's just head on up to my room then," Sam said taking my hand.

When I saw the girls roaming around the hall, I tried to hide my aggravation.

"Hey Sam, who's your friend?" This guy on crutches called out to Sam. He was with a tall girl with curly hair.

"Hey Nathan, Haley! I want you to meet Mercedes," Sam introduced us.

"Oh my gosh, you're even more beautiful than Sam lead on! Hi, I'm Haley," the girl said. I guess flattery truly did get you places, I already loved this girl. I was also glad Sam was telling people in his dorm about me.

"Haley is great with compliments, huh? I'm Nathan; it's great to meet you. Sam wouldn't shut up about you today." Even though Sam was turning red, I thought it was sweet. It was good to know he hadn't forgotten about me.

"It's great to meet you both!"

"We hope to see you around more Mercedes. **Green Eggs** don't forget we're having game night in the lounge later tonight." The pair left us and I looked at him confused.

"Did that girl just call you _**Green Eggs**_?"

"Haha yea," he was rubbing the back of his neck, "I got the nickname during this icebreaker. You know, Green Eggs and Ham, Sam I am…"

"Oh wow, and I thought _Trouty Mouth_ was a bad nickname."

Walking into Sam's room, my jaw hit the floor. It was so spacious compared to my closet space of a room. I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard a voice I didn't recognize.

"Samuel, who's the queen? Who knew you'd bring a girl back on the first night. But didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend," a black guy who was about Sam's height jumped out of the bed on the other side of the room. He was very muscular, and his ego was radiating out of his pores.

"Aaron, this _is _my girlfriend. Mercedes, meet my roommate." This was the first time Sam looked annoyed since we met up.

Aaron took my hand and kissed it, "When white boy over here told me he had a girlfriend, I did not expect you beautiful." If he couldn't tell I was disgusted, he must have been oblivious. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he said, "If you ever get tired of him, you know where to find me." His smirk gave me a bad feeling. Same didn't seem to be happy either.

"Okay, don't you have other girls to harass? Girls who aren't my girlfriend…" Yep, those two were definitely going to bump heads.

"Yea, yea, I can take a hint. I'll see you around Mercedes," Aaron said dragging out my name unnecessarily. "Oh and don't have sex on my bed. My mom just got me those sheets." And with that, he was gone.

"Well he's quite the charmer isn't he?" I laughed. I envied almost everything about Sam's college life, except for Aaron. But even then, he only had to deal with one roommate.

"Ignore him. I've only known him for a few hours, and he already gets on my nerves… Anyway, let's not talk about him." He pulled me down to sit on his bed. I sighed; it felt so good to be alone with him. His lips on my cheek made me feel warm inside.

"So, tell me about your day. I wanna know everything." No Sam, you really don't want to know everything.

"There's really not that much to tell. I mean, everything's been cool so far." Why I tried lying, I don't even know. He could read me like a comic book.

"So are you going to tell me what's really up, you don't look like 'everything's been cool'".

Oh no Sam, why would you think that? It wasn't like my life had been a living hell since I had gotten here. I didn't hate my dorm or the people in it. I definitely didn't hate my 3rd roommate. I wasn't homesick at all. Life was spectacular. But it _wasn't_. It wasn't at all.

I broke down and told him everything. I told him about my crap morning. I told him about my tragic dorm and all of the girls. I told him about how draining and awkward Orientation was turning out to be. I told him everything.

Embarrassed and ashamed, Sam held me as the tears flowed. He cooed in my ear, "Everything will be alright. I'm here for you always." But how could I believe it would be? Sam seemed to be having the time of his life. His dorm was fantastic and he was already making new friends. He might have time for me now, but it wouldn't be long before I slipped out of the picture. All I could do was enjoy time with him now.

"I really hope so Sam, I _really_ do."

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><p><strong>AN: Wah! Cheer up Mercedes! It will be okay, listen to Sam. So how are we feeling about this one? Did anyone like Green Eggs as a nickname? And Mercedes gets another roomie, has this happened to any of you? I want to hear your stories! Aaron seems like a charmer, huh? And for all of you One Tree Hill fans, YES, I did name Nathan and Haley purposely. Any Degrassi fans, Hey Manny! Yep, my love for other shows pours into my writing. Oh and if you were wondering, yes, these experiences have either happened to me or my friends in college. I just want it to be realistic…even though it is fiction. Reviews give me life. Keep reading, and share it with your fellow Samcedes friends! Check out my other story, How Did We Get Here, if you haven't! **


	4. Chapter 3

**It's been a few days since I've updated! I took a break to start on some new stories *cough (Is This Real Life & Bluebird) cough* But I was in the mood to write, so I knocked out another chapter to this! Thanks for your reviews and for putting this story in your Favorites and on Story Alert. It makes me happy that you all want to keep following along. If you're just now starting this story, go back to the beginning so you aren't confused!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

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><p>Orientation was almost over and next week we would be starting classes. So far, my first few days here at Kingston had been excellent. The people in my hall were really cool, a little loud at times, but still cool. Aaron was seriously a pain in the ass, but with him being at football practice most of the day, it wasn't that bad living with him. Nathan and I were turning out to be great buddies. A lot of people stereotype football players as jerks, like Aaron. But Nathan was really chill. Haley lived on the end of our hall. She wasn't like the other girls in our hall and she was easy to get along with; no drama. I was really happy that I was making friends so easily, but I couldn't help but feel bad for Mercedes. After she told me how she was having such a terrible time so far, it seemed to have gotten worse. Her third roommate moved in, and the three of them were all so different. And in this case, opposites did not attract. I was trying to have a good time, but I just wished that I could change things for Mercedes.<p>

"Sunshine! Earth to Sunshine, where's your head at?" Spencer lived in my hall, and she was Haley's roommate. They were complete opposites. Haley was tall and had long curly hair. She was into sports and she played the guitar. Spencer on the other hand was a very little girl with a huge attitude. She had a short haircut, she didn't know the first thing about sports, and she was extremely boy crazy. Haley and Spencer had few things in common, but they got along really well. Actually, one of the few things they had in common as making fun of me.

"For the last time, my name is not Sunshine. And sorry, I'm just a little out of it today." We had a break from Orientation activities and some people in my hall decided to have lunch together, or rag on Sam time as they would call it.

"I still can't believe you're not from California," Spencer said. Everyone laughed, but I just rolled my eyes. We were sitting in Johnson's Dining Hall, or JD's as everyone that wasn't a freshman called it. I was already obsessed with this place. Back in Lima, I didn't get to enjoy many home-cooked meals. Even though my family had gotten back on their feet, my parents didn't want to take any chances. To save money, we just ate cheap fast food or I'd bring home discounted pizzas from work. Now that I was at Kingston, I had a pretty amazing meal plan. Kingston was #4 in the country for Dining Services, and my stomach was very thankful. JD's was a buffet, and they had everything.

"I agree, you look like you could have stepped out of a Surfing magazine, but your accent says otherwise. You're one confusing dude Sam Evans," Haley replied. This got more laughs out of people. Thankfully Pat, Nathan's roommate, put me out of my misery.

"Alright, leave Green Eggs alone. He can't help the way he looks. Anyway man, what's got you down? You look so out of it today." Pat was really cool; he was also very different from Nathan. He was tall and lanky, and a complete tech nerd. We were sure he would come in handy in the near future.

"I'm just a little bummed about Mercedes that's all." I was pushing around my spaghetti on my plate. The food was delicious, but I wasn't really hungry anymore. Everyone at the table groaned, causing me to look up.

"If you talk about Mercedes one more time…" Spencer looked like she was going to spit out some threat, but she decided against it when Haley shot her a look. Did I really talk about her that much?

"I don't talk about her that much, do I?" I loved Mercedes, and I wanted my friends to get to know her so that we could all hang out together. I didn't think they'd get tired of me talking about her this soon.

Everyone was exchanging glances, but finally Nathan spoke up. "Listen, I think it's cool you and your girlfriend are really close, but," Nathan said, but Haley interrupted. "_But_, we just think maybe she's getting in the way of who you really are. I mean, we've heard about all what you and _Mercedes_ like to do, and how you and _Mercedes_ do this and that, but what about you?" I had never really thought of it that way. It was hard for me to think of myself without Mercedes. She had become a part of who I was, and I didn't want it to stop.

"Well personally, I don't understand why you brought a girlfriend to college," Spencer just had to put her two cents in. Everyone glared at her, but I didn't really take it to heart. Spencer seemed like a girl who had uncontrollable word vomit. "What, don't look at me! I'm just saying what all of you are thinking. Listen Sam, you're a hot piece of ass. And you're going to be letting a lot of girls down being that you're _off_ the market." If I wasn't mistaken, she winked at me. I just laughed and shook my head at her. This girl was definitely a character. She actually reminded a lot of Santana, only a mini version. Thank God she hadn't said anything about my _Trouty Mouth._

"Oh don't listen to Spencer. She's never been in a relationship for more than 3 months. I'm not even sure she knows how to spell commitment," Haley joked. Spencer gasped and pretended to be offended. We all laughed. As we were about to leave, we heard a bunch of commotion on the other side of the dining hall. Our group naturally went to go and check it out.

A bunch of guys were huddled around in matching T-shirts, and they seemed to be having a performance. I was immediately drawn to them. We had just caught the end of their rendition of The Script's _Breakeven._ Most of the guys were singing, but some of them had guitars, someone was beating on a drum; one guy even had a harmonica. When they were finished, the entire hall erupted in applause. These guys were crazy talented, and everyone seemed to love them, especially Spencer.

"I think I've found a new obsession!" She was already pushing her way to the front of the crowd.

"Thanks for listening guys! We're the boys of Omega Alpha Kai! We hope you freshmen are enjoying your first week here at Kingston. If you like what you just heard, come out to the talent show we're hosting tonight at Lenner Hall at 8pm. The best talent of Kingston will be there to give the Class of 2016 a warm welcome. Thanks again!" I assumed that the guy who was speaking was the leader or something. He seemed like a guy who had a lot of respect of people, and everyone knew his name.

"Drew Carter is so beautiful," Spencer said turning to us. Did I mention that the girl was boy crazy?

"How is it possible that you already know who this guy is? We've only been here for like, four days." Pat pointed out. "What? You guys didn't stalk our class Facebook page? Drew Carter is not only sexy, but he's basically Kingston royalty."

We just rolled our eyes, but Haley didn't look too happy. "Alright guys, let's just get out of here. We have to be back with our groups in 10 minutes," Haley said rushing us along, but someone called out to her.

"Haley, wait up!" We turned around and we saw that Drew guy approaching us. Haley groaned while Spencer was having a panic attack. "Holy shit, you know him? Oh my goodness, is there anything in my teeth?"

"Yes, unfortunately, I know him." Drew jogged up to us with a friendly smile on his face. When I got a closer look at him, everything started to connect. He could basically be Haley's twin. He engulfed her in a big hug and then proceeded to ruffle her hair. Haley's cheeks were beet red.

"C'mon Drew, knock it off," she said pulling away from him. "Drew, these are my friends from my dorm. Everyone, this is my _brother_, Drew Carter." Drew shook all of our hands. They could be twins, but I could tell Drew and Haley were as different as night and day. Spencer looked like she was going to faint, but she was surprisingly quiet.

"It's nice to meet all of you! I hope you enjoyed the performance, do any of you think you'll make it to the talent show tonight?" Drew hadn't stopped smiling since he joined us. And although Haley looked like she hated every moment of this, Drew seemed like a pretty decent guy so far.

"I definitely want to check it out, that performance was pretty cool. Are you guys a singing group or something?" I asked. I couldn't stop thinking about the performance. They kind of reminded me of the Warblers, only they were way more casual. It made me miss the Glee club a lot. I hadn't thought about joining anything, but I definitely wanted to know more about them.

"You could say that. Omega Alpha Kai is one of Kingston's many fraternities on campus. Our fraternity was built on the principles of brotherhood, community service, and the love of music. We're not your typical fraternity. We do most of the same things as other fraternities, but most of us are performers or music majors," he explained. I was trying to hide my excitement. I had never once in my life thought about joining a fraternity, but Drew made the idea very appealing.

"Well, it looks like Haley is about to kill me. Don't worry; I won't embarrass you any longer little sis. You guys should definitely come out to the show tonight, it'll be worth it!" Drew left us, and Spencer shrieked so loudly I was for sure I had lost my hearing.

"Spencer, don't. Just don't even start with me," Haley said leading us out of the dining hall. I could tell she didn't want to talk about it; she obviously didn't plan on telling us she had a brother here. I didn't blame her, and I didn't push her to talk about it either. On the other hand, I was very interested in Omega Alpha Kai, and I couldn't wait to go to that show tonight.

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><p>Later that night, I was getting ready to go to the show. Aaron had already found something to do and he had already left. I was cherishing the moments I didn't have to spend with him. My phone rang and I smiled when I saw who was calling.<p>

"Hey baby, how's it going?" I hadn't had a chance to call Mercedes all day. I hoped she wasn't mad at me. "Hey Sam! I hope you don't mind, but I wandered over to your dorm. Could you meet me outside? I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Mercedes was always so considerate of everyone else. Even though I was getting ready to go out, there was always time for my girl.

"Of course, I'll be down soon!"

Mercedes greeted me with a warm hug. I was so glad to see her. I loved Orientation, but I couldn't wait until it was over so I could spend more time with Mercedes.

"Hey, I missed you handsome!" She had a smile on her face, but her eyes said otherwise. She looked like she had been crying. "Hey to you too, are you okay? You look like you've been crying babe." I took her hand and led her to the bench outside of my dorm. She let out a big sigh, and before she even said anything, I gave her a warning. "Now don't lie to me, because I'll know if you're lying. Tell me the truth."

"Fine, I just had to get away from my dorm. My entire hall is going insane because of the tripling ordeal. I couldn't take the yelling anymore," she said averting my eyes. I could tell she hated telling me all of these things, but I didn't want her to feel like she couldn't talk to me. I wrapped my arm around her and she rested her head on my shoulder. "So how's that going for you anyway? The tripling thing…"

"Well, I thought that having one roommate was stressful. Sam, I don't know how I'm going to make it through the rest of the year. Casey, you know my first roomie? She's so detached. She doesn't seem like she's really _here._ Her side of the room is a junk yard; I don't even think she's unpacked yet. She just lives out of her suitcase. And then Peyton, my new roommate, I might actually kill her. She's so rude, and she just has a bad attitude for no reason. I didn't force her to move in, you know. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come over here and complain, I just had to get out of there before I hurt someone." She looked so bent out of shape. This wasn't like how I imagined it to be at all. We were supposed to be having the time of our lives here, especially Mercedes.

"You don't have to apologize, I just wish things were better for you," I said resting my head upon hers.

"I'm sure it'll all get better in time. But enough about me, I'm tired of talking about me. What's going on over here in the Buckingham Palace?" Mercedes jokingly called my dorm the Buckingham Palace. She was convinced that royalty lived here. "You don't wanna know, really. I'm sure we're doing the same things as your Orientation group."

I didn't want to tell Mercedes how much fun I was having. I felt bad she wasn't having a good time; there was no need for me to rub it in her face. She punched me in the arm for the second time that week. "If you're going to make me talk, then you have to talk. I want to know what you're doing. And just because I'm not in college heaven just yet, it doesn't mean I'm not happy that you're having a good time. Now spill, I want all of the details." She wasn't going to let me get out of this time.

"Okay, fine. Just don't hit me again," she chuckled. "Well let's see, I love it so far. My orientation group is really cool, and the people in my hall are fun to be around." Her eyes had lit up again, and I realized that she liked listening to my stories.

"Alright, tell me more!"

"Well, you met Nathan and Haley the other day, and they're really cool. We had lunch with their roommates today. Pat rooms with Nate. He's way into computers and stuff, but he's cool. Spencer, Haley's roommate, is insane. She can be cool at times, she's incredibly loud, and she's boy crazy. Other than that, she's cool." Mercedes laughed. I was glad that I was able to make her smile.

"That's great; I hope that I can meet them soon."

"We're actually about to go out right now! Today at lunch, we saw this fraternity singing, and they're hosting a talent show tonight," I explained with excitement. She looked a little confused though.

"A fraternity that sings? Now that's something I never heard of," she said. "Yea, they're all about music and performing. Omega Alpha Kai is their name. They're just like the other fraternities, they just…sing and make music," she still looked puzzled. "I wish you would have seen them, it took me back to the days of singing with the New Directions. I think I want to join," I said surprising both me and her. Before today, I didn't know that much about frats, and I still didn't. But the more I thought about it, OAK was something I really wanted to be a part of.

"Wow, I didn't know you wanted to join a fraternity? That sounds really cool Sam," she looked at me sincerely.

"I didn't know I wanted to either, but after I saw them perform today… I don't know. I guess it was some sort of weird sign. You should come with us tonight to their show! I want you to see what I'm talking about. Maybe they have a girl version or something?" It would be cool if Mercedes found something like this to join; maybe it would lift her spirits a little bit.

She laughed. "Oh no Sam, I don't think I'm the type to join a sorority. But I think I'll stay in tonight, you should go ahead without me." She began to stand up. She had just got here; I didn't want her to go.

"Why not? I really want to introduce you to the rest of my friends, and it'll be good to get out of your dorm."

"I'm glad you want to include me, but you should really go on without me. I don't want to be the tag along girlfriend. _Besides_, I don't want to worry about me. You need to go and have fun," she assured me.

"But," I tried to argue again but she just put her finger on my lips. "No buts, Sam Evans. You're going to go out with your friends tonight, and you're going to have a good time. Now give me a kiss. I think I'm just going to go have a Skype conference call with Kurt and Tina and call it a night. They have been texting me all week and I feel bad that I haven't gotten a chance to talk to them." I sighed; I had to worry about her. But she wasn't going to let me win this time.

"Fine, but if you change your mind, you know I'm just a phone call away." I wrapped my arms around her waist and gave her a short, but powerful kiss. She headed back to her dorm, and I felt empty.

There had to be something that I could do to change things around for her. If I was having a good time, Mercedes should be having a good time too.

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><p><strong>AN: So another day of Orientation has gone by, and they're almost at the end of it! Mercedes is still having a pretty harsh time, but Sam is having fun! His new friends are cool too. What do you all think about Nathan, Haley, Pat, and Spencer? I'm definitely going to have fun writing for them. And Omega Alpha Kai is in the house! Kingston's own musically inclined fraternity. And what's this? Sam wants to join? Oh man, life at KU is about to get interesting. Next time, you'll meet Casey and Peyton; Mercedes' roommates. That'll be the last chapter of Orientation and then the year begins! Thanks for reading, reviews are appreciated! **


	5. Chapter 4

**Hello! Here's the latest chapter! I'm stretching myself by having THREE stories to work on at the same time, but writing is my outlet! I don't mind it at all. Thanks for all of your reviews so far, they mean so much! PS: I so had to go back and edit one of the early chapters. I described Haley one way in the first chapter, and then another way in a recent chapter. MY BAD. So yea, it should be fixed. Didn't mean to confuse anyone :]**

**Disclaimer: Nope. **

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><p>"Why are you so rude?"<p>

"Why are you so annoying?"

"Guys, stop fighting. We have to be at our meeting soon!"

It was just another typical day in Warner Hall, Room 516. Our final Orientation ceremony had ended, and I was extremely relieved. I'd had enough of the icebreakers, the games, the events; basically everything. I was especially exhausted with all of the roommate drama that was going on. The day after Manny told me about the tripling issue, our third roommate moved in. When Peyton moved in, Casey was a saint compared to her. I quickly gave her the nickname Satan Peyton, or SP for short. When we first met her, I definitely didn't think she'd be as evil as she was. Around Manny, she was perfectly fine. But as soon as she left, the demon in her exploded. Peyton apparently never learned manners. She was rude and loud; she constantly blasted her music. Today was no exception. After all of our festivities of the day were over, I was trying to take a quick nap before our hall meeting. Peyton had other plans, which included listening to her music without earphones…again.

"Do you think I care about a stupid meeting? I'm not going to that," Peyton said rolling her eyes. I didn't understand how a girl as gorgeous as her had to be so ugly on the inside. Standing at about 5'6", Peyton was thin, but she had an athletic build. Her caramel complexion was beautiful, her blue eyes sparkled, and any girl would die for her soft and brown wavy hair. Everyone in the hall knew Peyton was pretty, but it was like she didn't embrace it herself. She was a total tomboy; I would give a makeover in a heartbeat if she wasn't so _mean_.

"It's mandatory! And let's not change the subject. Let's get back to how you don't know how to respect your roommates. You know the two who let you move into their room…" I spat back at her.

My other roommate Casey decided to stay out of the argument this time. Casey was the shortest of us all. Her fashion sense was slightly better than Peyton's, and she always tried to style her shoulder length brunette hair. And even though Casey wasn't the best roommate, I was starting to warm up to her. Sure her side of the room looked like it had exploded, and maybe she hadn't done much to get to know us, but she was so much easier to live with than Peyton.

"Well in order to get respect, you have to give it too, _Mercedes. _And you didn't let me move in anywhere, I was forced to do this." I hated the way she said my name. I wished she didn't know my name. I decided to just give up and stop arguing with her. My nap was completely ruined, and I already wasted time that I could have been sleeping by arguing with Satan.

"And anyways, why don't you ever say anything to Casey? I'm not the only roommate with respect issues." She clearly didn't get the hint that the conversation was over when I walked away from her. Meanwhile, Casey didn't look too thrilled that Peyton called her out.

"What does this have to do with me? I was minding my own business Peyton," Casey said with a cold tone.

"Can we not talk about this anymore? I'm exhausted and as much as I _love_ your voice Peyton, we should really get going to that meeting." I tried to smile politely.

"Oh please Mercedes, don't act you can't stand looking at her mess. Casey, you're a slob. I'm not even sure how you find your bed really. And what's the deal with your suitcase? Is there a reason you haven't unpacked yet?"

Of course I had noticed Casey wasn't the cleanest person. Of course I thought it was kind of weird she hadn't unpacked yet, but I would have never called her a slob to her face.

I could see tears forming in her eyes and she just rushed out of the room. All I could do was shake my head and sigh.

"What did I say now…?" Peyton asked, as if she really didn't know she was a bitch. I was so fed up with her and her antics.

"Seriously, what's your deal? I understand you getting in my face, because quite frankly I _don't_ like you. But Casey hasn't done anything to you," I said walking over to her, sizing her up.

"Hey back off, I can't help it if she can't handle the truth. I didn't ask to live with you two."

"And we definitely didn't ask to live with you either. But if you don't actually start trying to be a better roommate, it's going to be a _very_ long year." She tried staring me down, but my gaze was 10 times as powerful. I was not afraid of Peyton, and I definitely wasn't going to let her believe that I was for one second.

When we went downstairs to meet the rest of the girls and Manny, the tension in our lounge was unbearable. Apparently I wasn't the only one having trouble dealing with a third roommate. Everyone was sitting in a circle as we came in; Manny was sitting in the middle cheerfully as she passed around the attendance sheet.

"Well it looks like all of you are here! Welcome to the first official Warner 5B hall meeting! I want to say congrats! All of you have made it through your first week here at Kingston! Classes start tomorrow, and I'm sure all of you will enjoy them. Now, If you forgot already, my name is Manny, and I'm going to be your Resident Advisor for the year," Manny explained animatedly. By the looks of it, she was the only one who was happy to be at the meeting.

"Alright, so I know I told my original residents that we wouldn't be having an official meeting until the end of the month. But, since we've had a few additions to our hall, I thought I'd start early." A few was clearly an understatement. It was crazy that the amount of girls in my hall had almost doubled since we had moved in.

"It's going to be a great year. My freshman year was the best! We all have our ups and downs, but this year you will truly learn a lot about yourself. I can't wait to see all of you grow into beautiful young women." Manny was beaming. I seriously wanted to know where she got all of her energy from.

"Alright, so with that said, let's get started!" Manny talked about the standard rules and regulations of being a dorm resident. She talked about the quiet hours, fire drills, bathroom etiquette, alcohol violations, and basically anything that could put you to sleep. I thought Manny was sweet and cool, but all I wanted to do was go and Skype with Sam.

"Well, I think that's all of the boring stuff! Now that we're done with that, I want to get to know you all a little before I let you go. How does that sound?" The groans and the eye rolls pretty much answered her question.

"Oh come on, I think it's important for all of us to get to know one another. Now I know that you've been doing silly icebreakers all week, but let's try to actually get to know each other. I want everyone to share something personal about yourself that we wouldn't know unless you told us! Let's call it, 'If You Really Knew Me.'"

Everyone groaned again, our Orientation Leaders had already tried to "get to know us." It had epically failed.

"Now don't be too quick to judge, that show was very powerful. To break the ice, I'll go first," she smiled at us. I always heard that RAs didn't really care about their residents; that it was all about the money. Manny definitely proved this theory wrong.

"Ok, so if you really knew me, you'd know that I was adopted," she began. My head immediately shot up, as did the others. I would have never guessed that Manny was adopted; I guess I never really thought about it.

"When I was born, my mom died when she was giving birth. My biological dad couldn't raise me by himself, so he gave me up to an adoption agency. As a kid, I was bounced around a lot of foster homes and I was in and out of adoption agencies. I was beginning to lose faith; I didn't think I'd ever get adopted. _But_, when I turn 9, my luck started to turn around." Everyone's mouth had fallen open. Even Peyton looked stunned.

"My parents, the couple that adopted me, were visiting the adoption agency. When I met them, I felt this instant connection, but I didn't want to get my hopes up. I'd met a ton of couples over the years, but none of them wanted to adopt a kid at my age. Well, apparently my parents felt the same connection I had. And I guess the rest was history."

Manny hadn't stopped smiling the entire time she told her story. She had been through so much in her life, and she still managed to keep a smile on her face. I blinked away the tears in my eyes. Everyone was silent in the lounge; we didn't really know what to say after that.

A girl sitting across from me in the circle then raised her hand. "Yes Raven, do you have a question?"

The taller girl was hesitant, but she proceeded to ask her question anyway. "Do you…do you ever think about finding your biological father? I mean, I know you won't be able to get to know your biological mother, but what about your dad?"

Manny smiled at Raven. "That's a great question. I actually don't have an interest in getting to know my biological dad. He wasn't ready to be my father and I don't really need him now. I'm so lucky to have two parents that love me. If it wasn't for them, I would have never made it to Kingston. I would have never had the chance at so many amazing opportunities. Of course, I do wish I could have gotten the chance to know my mother." Everyone just nodded their heads or smiled politely.

"Well, if none of you have any more questions, who wants to go next?" After Manny's confession, the girls started to open up. I was pleasantly surprised to learn about my hall mates. Some of them had very interesting lives, and I was starting to feel bad for judging them so quickly. Of course, when it was Peyton's turn, she didn't share much that we already didn't know.

"If you really knew me….you'd know that my favorite color is red and that my favorite team is the Chicago Bulls," she said as she sported a red shirt, which happened to be Chicago Bulls T-shirt. I rolled my eyes at that, but I didn't think she'd be quick to open up anyway. The next person to speak was our roommate Casey.

"Hi, my name is Casey for those of you that don't know me. My roommates are Mercedes and Sa- Peyton." I giggled as she almost slipped up and called Peyton, Satan. If she did, we'd never hear the end of it.

"And if you really knew me…you'd know that being here at Kingston hasn't been the easiest for me." Casey's eyes looked really sad and I was interested in what she had to say. She took a deep breath for continuing on.

"If you really knew me, you'd know that during my junior year, I got _pregnant_." My eyes definitely could have popped out of my head. I hadn't seen this coming, at all. Some of the girls started to whisper. I could tell Casey was very nervous so I took her hand and gave her a supporting smile.

"Just like that, my entire life had changed. I was freaking out. I couldn't tell my parents. There was no way that they would believe that their youngest daughter was pregnant. But shockingly, my parents were very supportive. They took me to my appointments and discussed options with me. The summer before my senior year, I gave birth to my baby girl, Brynn." She was now smiling. Almost everyone had their hands up and was eager to ask questions.

"Did you keep her?" A girl from down the hall named Katie asked. "Yes, I did. My parents helped a lot. They wanted me to still go to school and graduate. So they watched her during the day. It was very difficult. All of my friends that were there for me during the pregnancy had disappeared. I virtually felt alone throughout everything." She confessed.

"What about the father," I asked quietly. She had failed to mention the baby's father the entire time.

"My boyfriend at the time was there for the sex, just not for the consequences of our actions. His parents wanted him to help me raise Brynn, but he ran away to live with his grandparents. I haven't seen or heard from him in over a year." I had developed a newfound respect for my roommate.

"So what made you decided to come to Kingston? Isn't it hard being away from her?" Manny asked.

"Well, at first I was apprehensive about the idea. I wanted to get my education, but I wasn't ready to leave Brynn at home. But then my parents assured me that if I didn't go to college, I would regret it. So, here I am. I only live 15 miles away from Kingston, but it's still painful being away," she answered. She seemed more comfortable with talking now.

"So, why didn't you just commute to school?" Another girl asked Casey. "Well, my parents wanted me to have the real college experience. But I was able to get special permission to have my car on campus as a freshman. In case of any emergencies, I'll be able to go home. I plan to go home every weekend though. I've been a nervous wreck since I've been here though. I haven't even had a chance to unpack yet," she smiled at me.

Everything started to make sense now. Of course she hadn't had time to unpack! Now I understood why she was on the phone every five minutes. I glanced over to Peyton, and surprisingly she didn't look evil.

"Well Casey, I must say you're my new hero. I hope we get to meet Brynn one day," Manny beamed at her.

"Alright, who's next? Mercedes, would you like to go?" Manny asked me. I was so busy listening to everyone else that I hadn't really thought of what I would say. Compared to some of these girls, my life back at home was very simple.

"Well, honestly, Im not sure what to say. All of you seem to have very interesting lives. I feel kind of dull," I said a little embarrassed.

"Hey, we're not here to judge. We all want to get to know the lovely Mercedes Jones," Manny said reassuring me. With a couple of nods and warm smiles from the others, I decided to open up.

"Okay...well if you really knew me, you would know that my first week at Kingston hasn't been the greatest either," I started off as I looked at Casey. She reached over and grabbed my hand, as I did with her earlier.

"If you really knew me, you'd know that before coming to Kingston, I was so ready to go. But when I got here, everything was not like I expected. Until today, I wasn't having the best week in the world. And to top it all of, my boyfriend who also goes here, is having the time of his life," I said starting to tear up.

I didn't really want to admit that I was jealous of Sam. I mean don't get me wrong, I was so happy and proud of him. I just couldn't help but feel envious of his new friends.

"I haven't really talked to any of my friends or family. I don't want to let them down. I feel like if they find out I'm not having a good time, they'll be disappointed. Everyone has this idea of me. Everyone thought that I would thrive in college; that it would be so easy for me. But in reality, this whole week has been really rough for me. At home, I never had to share a room with someone. Now I'm sharing a room with two people. I'm sorry, I sound so spoiled don't I?" I laughed nervously. I didn't want all of them to think that I was an overly privileged brat.

"No, no. Continue on!" Casey was encouraging me. I felt at ease now. No one in the room looked as if they were judging me, and it felt nice.

"And I guess, with my boyfriend Sam, I'm afraid that I'm losing him already. I feel so embarrassed sometimes when I tell him about my crappy days. His life here seems so great already! I want to convince myself that we won't grow apart, but it's going to be really hard. I know it sounds silly, but he's not just my boyfriend. He's my _best_ friend too."

"And if it's meant to be, then the both of you will get through anything. A relationship in college is an extreme test. But if you love him as much as I think you do, you'll be able to pass that test. And don't worry about not having the best first week. I'm sure everyone here has had their tough days during Orientation. It's just the first week, you have an entire year to enjoy college." Manny's words empowered me and I was suddenly engulfed with positivity.

The rest of the girls took their turns at "If You Really Knew Me." After the meeting adjourned, everyone rushed out of the lounge. I was glad that after we started learning more about everyone, the atmosphere was much lighter. Peyton mumbled something about being back later as she brushed past Casey and me.

I held Casey back as everyone was leaving. I leaped towards her and gave her a big hug. She was quite startled, but she warmed up to the hug eventually.

"Not that I mind, but what is this for?" She laughed brightly. I was starting to see the real Casey, and I was so happy.

"I'm so sorry for being so grumpy and attitudinal this week. I haven't really had the best time here either so far. I know Peyton moving in was stressful for both of us, but I was just thinking about myself the entire time. Forgive me?" I said smiling down at her.

"Of course! I'm sorry for being so messy. I just haven't thought about unpacking. It's still difficult to believe this is where I'm staying for the next nine months. I miss Brynn so much," she sighed.

"But thanks for holding my hand in there. I wasn't sure how everyone would react."

"No problem, and thank you for holding mine. By the way, I think you're extremely brave and strong for doing this. I bet you're an amazing mother."

"Thanks, thanks so much Mercedes. That means so much to me."

"And I really hope that I get to meet Brynn one day. I definitely want to go home with you one weekend when you visit."

"That would be so great; I'd love for you to meet her!" It was a small step, but things were finally turning around. Not everyone in my hall was as difficult as Peyton. And I was really starting to like Casey.

"But hey, I'm about to go and Skype my mom so I can see Brynn, do you want to come and say hi?"

"That is so cute! I'll be there in a second. I brought my laptop down here so I could Skype with my boyfriend."

"That's so adorable! How long have you two been together?"

"Over a year now! He lives in Hanson Hall." Casey gasped with envy.

"I know, tell me about it." She just laughed and we said our goodbyes.

I was finally alone and I was so happy to tell Sam about my day. "Hey baby, you look cute?" I bust out laughing when I saw Sam pop up on my screen. He had two bows in his hair, and he had glitter and make-up all over his face. I could tell he was in his lounge, and I heard his friends laughing.

"Don't. Ask." Suddenly, a boy, Nathan I think, pushed Sam away from the computer and took over.

"Hey Mercedes, sorry we did this to your boy. Now he'll learn to not fall asleep in the lounge again." He said laughing. I couldn't help but smile. Sam pushed Nathan and gave him a few choice words. After a minute of pleading, Sam and I were finally alone.

"Sorry about that, my friends think it's hilarious to prank me while I'm sleeping," he said while his cheeks were flushing.

"I think you look stunning! And they did an amazing job with the blush," I couldn't help laughing at him.

"Ha-ha. Anyway, tell me about your day! I hope it was better than yesterday?" He asked hopefully. I smiled. I would finally be able to tell him I had a good day without fibbing.

"It was a great day actually!" I told him happily. He looked pleasantly shocked.

"Really? Well I want to know all about it, Ms. Jones." He smiled and made my heart melt. I still got butterflies when he smiled at me.

"I will, but first, I want to tell you that I love you. So, I love you Sam Evans." During the meeting, I learned a lot about the girls in my hall. But most importantly, I learned that you shouldn't take life for granted. You could lose someone close to you at any second, and life was too short to hold grudges. I couldn't wait to tell Sam that I loved him.

"Mercedes Jones, I love you too. Now, tell me everything about your great day," he said giving me a smile that I would never get tired of.

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><p><strong>AN: WOOT. Orientation is dunzo. The first day of classes at Kingston start next time! What's in store this year for Sam and Mercedes? As for this chapter, YAY! Mercedes doesn't despise the people in her hall that much anymore. That's a start right? And wow, who would have known about Manny and Casey? I met a girl this past year at school that had a daughter during her senior year. She was definitely my inspiration for Casey. I have so much respect for that girl, and she was so sweet. Anyway, why is Peyton such a bitch? And lol at Sam falling asleep in his lounge. I've done this before.**

**Your reviews and comments light up my life, so leave more : ] **


	6. Author's NoteHiatus

Hey everyone! I'm sorry to say that this is not an update, only an Author's note! I hope that you love me enough to read it. Make sure that if you have a comment on this, send me a message. Don't review the chapter :)

I understand that FF hates it when people do this, but it was needed. So I haven't updated Now or Never since June! I know, completely unacceptable. Including Now or Never, I have 3 Samcedes stories In-Progress.

At the beginning of the summer, there wasn't even supposed to be more than one story. I got carried away and thought I was Superwoman. Unfortunately, I am not.

**I have no interest in discontinuing this story or any of the others.** I have so many ideas for this story. All I can do is take it one day at a time, and hope all of you beautiful readers will understand. So Now or Never and How Did I Get Here are officially on hiatus. They were on hiatus unofficially, but I felt the need to address you all.

Summer is almost over for me, and that makes me extremely sad. This summer is one that I will never forget. I never thought I'd put myself out there and put my writing on FF! And even though I'm extremely excited to get back to school, and out my parents' house, I'm going to miss summertime. I _am_ excited to get back and take a Creative Writing next semester.

I'm so proud of the Samcedian community! Even with the recent news of Chord's departure, we've bound together and have stayed strong. We should be proud and happy for him, even if our Samcedes hearts are still sad. We will always have Samcedes through Fanfiction!

**Speaking of, some of you are phenomenal writers. Please, please keep it up! I read your fics, and I'm completely blown away. I'm so blessed for so many of you to have found my story and actually enjoy it.**

As far as when these two fics will be updated again, I can't promise anything soon. But don't worry, five years from now, you won't get an email from FF saying "Update from keeponsmilingg. Chapter 7 of Now or Never! Finally" Just be patient with me!

One more thing, make sure all of you go out and support Glee Live in 3D! Unless you actually saw the concert live… Actually, if you saw it live, go see it again. I can't wait for it.

Love you all! So much!

I am on Tumblr! So follow me if you'd like, I follow back! All of that information is on my profile here.

-keeponsmilingg


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